Trapped
by Jou-chan
Summary: Chapter three done! Another year at Hogwarts has started, but a new student transfers in. Rumors fly. But many things about her are shrouded in mystery, including her connetion with the Malfoys, and Neville Longbottom. Please read and review! Review, I sa
1. A Warm Welcome.

  
  
  
  
  
Trapped.  
  
A Fanfic by Jou-chan.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimers: I'm going to say that all characters here belong to J.K. Rowling because she is a complete genius, and even if a couple of them might be of my own personal creation, I would be *honored* if she stole them. ^-^;;  
  
  
  
Notes: I still can't believe I'm writing a Harry Potter Fanfic. Don't get me wrong, 'cause I love Harry Potter, the Weaslys, even the Malfoys (on some occasions.) But it never really crossed my mind to do so, until now. It didn't cross my mind; it ransacked it and left it in a complete mess, with ideas flying around everywhere. I'm being held hostage by my own imagination! Hence, this story.  
  
  
This is set after the fourth book, as well. So your guess is as good as mine about what's gonna happen, and exactly what has happened previously, which Ms. Rowlings has so thoughtfully left UNMENTIONED (..grrrrr…). And that's why I'm dying to read the next book… not to mention the movie! Meep! I'm sooooo excited!!! …ooookay, 'nuff of that.  
  
  
Also, you might notice, that while it is a Harry Potter Fanfic, it's not centered on the wizard himself. This has to do with EVERYBODY!! So, please review and tell me what you think of it. Pweety pweety peas?  
  
**Cue strange intro music**  
  
  
  
  
  
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Darkness was everywhere. There was a bad feeling in the air, and the small baby shivered, as if it somehow knew that ominous feeling was connected to him.   
  
  
They said that the Dark Lord was gone; killed by a mere infant after slaughtering the Potters, Lily and James. That day, people mourned, but rejoiced even more.  
  
  
But although the Dark Lord might have been dead, his followers certainly weren't. There were attacks; not many at first. But they rose increasingly in numbers, and many wizards and witches began to fear for their lives. They feared that the Deatheaters would come and curse them while they slept in their hapless search for their master.  
  
  
The small infant shivered again, and began to cry.  
  
  
An old man, wise beyond years, tapped the baby on it's nose, smiling sadly at it. His long, silver beared tickled the small child, and it's crys soon turned to laughter. But the man's sad smile only got worse.  
  
  
He sighed, and looked up, handing the baby over to a plump, older woman, her cheeks streaked with tears. "Take good care, madam." He said, bowing to her, before walking away.  
  
  
The killings had stopped when the four Deatheaters were caught. People finally could live freely again, without fear of their lives.  
  
  
But freedom never comes without its sacrifices.  
  
  
  
  
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As Ron, Harry, and Hermione ran through the gate at Platform Nine and Three-quarters, Hermione heaved a great sigh of relief.  
  
  
"For a minute there, I was afraid we'd be late." She gave Ron a look as she said this.  
  
  
Ron scowled slightly. "Hey, it wasn't my fault Pig got out! You know how crazy that owl is!"  
  
  
Harry just shook his head. Another year at Hogwarts had started again, and he was free from the Dursleys. Not even his best friends' arguing could ruin this day for him. "Let's grab a compartment before they're all taken." He suggested, pushing his trunk forward.  
  
  
"Good idea, Harry." Hermione nodded and followed suit, with Ron close behind.  
  
  
They boarded the Hogwarts train and began going through the aisles, occasionally nodding a hello or stopping to talk to a friend.  
  
  
Seamus Finnigan stopped them, giving everyone a demonstration of a magic trick he learned over the summer. But it didn't work, and Dean Thomas ended up showing him how to do it properly, while everyone else laughed.  
  
  
Finally, in the back of the train, just behind George and Fred Weasly, with their friend Lee Jordan, they found a compartment that was practically empty, if you didn't count the girl sitting by the window. She had dark, shining hair and icy gray eyes that reminded them all of Draco Malfoy. Sitting in the cornor seat, petting a sleek, gray-spotted cat, she stared out the window with a bored expression on her face, not even looking up when they came in.  
  
  
Hermione cleared her throat, the first to speak up. "Excuse me, do you mind if we sit here?" She asked politely, trying to keep Crookshanks from jumping out at the other cat.  
  
  
The girl glanced at her coolly, brushing her long, messy bangs out of her eyes. "Sure."  
  
  
Hermione smiled in thanks and pushed her trunk all the way in, taking a seat opposite the girl.  
  
  
Harry and Ron did the same, then relaxed and began a heated discussion about quidditch as Hermione looked through some of her books, doing some last minute reviewing.  
  
  
"Harry, you've got to understand…"  
  
  
"No way, you've got it all wrong, you…"  
  
  
"No, that's exactly how Charlie…"  
  
  
"Really, would you two stop bickering?" Hermione hissed, slightly annoyed.  
  
  
Harry and Ron just grinned at each other.  
  
  
"Catching up on your reading, Herm?" Ron asked, teasing.  
  
  
She scowled slightly. "I've already read and studied this thoroughly. I'm just quizzing myself, and you should do the same." She quipped, sticking her chin up.  
  
  
Just then the door opened and the lady with the dimples smiled at them. "Care to buy something off the cart, dears?"  
  
  
As Harry and Ron jumped up and started grabbing different sweets, Hermione couldn't help but notice that the dark haired girl was looking at the cart semi-curiously, as if this was new to her. After a minute of speculation, the girl wandered over and bought a few things before settling back in her corner and eating quietly.  
  
  
Hermione glanced at Ron and Harry, who stopped laughing and smiled at her.   
  
  
"Treacle tart?" Harry offered.  
  
  
Hermione sighed, getting to her feet, then crossed to the girl. "Excuse me for interrupting, but I was wondering if you were new to Hogwarts?" She asked politely, smiling kindly at the girl.  
  
  
The girl glanced up at her, licking her fingers. "I suppose."  
  
  
Hermione stuck her hand out. "I'm Hermione Granger. That's Ron Weasly and the other one is Harry Potter. We're Gryffindors." She introduced.  
  
  
She slowly smirked, her eyes lingering a bit on Ron and Harry's all-too-familiar scar. "Kiare Lyren."  
  
  
"Did you transfer here from another school?" Ron asked, using his great knowledge of other magical schools that they had learned last year.  
  
  
"No. I've been home-schooled up till now. My tutor accidentally died during a lesson. Unfortunately." She added, at the looks on their faces.  
  
  
Something about the girl kept Harry uneasy. She was just so indifferent to everything, and she just screamed Slytherin…  
  
  
The door opened once again and Neville wandered in, looking around. "Have any of you seen Trevor?" He asked, glancing over at them.  
  
  
Ron shook his head, and Harry replied, "No, sorry Neville."  
  
  
Neville sighed, and then noticed Kiare and for a minute their eyes locked.  
  
  
She paused, slowly smirking, while Neville went white.   
  
  
The three others exchanged looks. Somehow, it seemed that the two already knew each other.  
  
  
"Hello, Neville." Kiare purred, her gray eyes glinting.  
  
  
Still very pale, a faint blush colored his cheeks. "Y..you're going to Hogwarts?" He asked, stammering.  
  
  
She looked about to answer but the door opened again.  
  
  
Draco Malfoy sauntered into the room, Crabbe and Goyle on either side of him, sniggering menacingly.  
  
  
"Hello Potter, Weasly, Granger. Looking forward to another year?" He asked, the usual drawl of his voice showing just how much he actually cared.  
  
  
"Get lost, Malfoy." Ron snapped, annoyed by just the presence of the pale blond.  
  
  
Draco tsked. "No need to start the year off with a fight, Weasly. Mum might send another howler. Then again, that would be rather amusing."   
  
  
Crabbe and Goyle both snickered, and Ron flushed with anger.   
  
  
Hermione rolled her eyes and took hold of Ron's robe hems to keep him from moving. "Really, if you're quite done, Malfoy, take your thugs and move on."  
  
  
His silver eyes flashed with displeasure. "Nobody asked you to speak, Granger." He muttered coolly.  
  
  
This time Harry started forward, but Hermione stopped him too. "Don't even waste your energy, Harry. He's not worth it." She whispered, shaking her head.  
  
  
Neville fidgeted uncomfortably. "I think I'll go look for Trevor somewhere else now." He said uneasily, and started for the door.  
  
  
Kiare's voice stopped him. "Leaving so soon? That's rather rude, Neville."  
  
  
He almost seemed to flinch at her words.   
  
  
Draco looked on her with curiosity. "Who are you?"  
  
  
"Kiare Lyren." She murmured, sizing him up. "You must be Lucius Malfoy's son. Draco, I presume?"  
  
  
He smirked. "That's right. You're that girl who killed her tutor, aren't you?" He asked, amused.  
  
  
She smirked. "You could put it that way, though it wasn't intentional."  
  
  
Draco nodded. "Do you know which house you're going to be in?" He asked casually.  
  
  
"I'm assuming Slytherin. My mother and father both were, but they're dead. I suppose I could be different."  
  
  
Harry exchanged looks with Ron and Hermione. He *knew* she was a Slytherin… her whole attitude was suited perfectly for it. From the looks of it, neither Ron nor Hermione were surprised, either.  
  
  
The train began to slow, and a whistle sounded, signaling their approach to Hogwarts castle.  
  
  
Kiare glanced up, smirking slightly. "I guess we're here."  
  
  
Draco grinned. "Welcome to Hogwarts."  
  
  
  
  



	2. Hermione's Competition.

  
  
  
Trapped.  
  
  
A Fanfic by Jou-chan.  
  
  
  
  
  
Disclaimers: J. K. Rowling is a genius and I quail in her all-mighty power. *bows*  
  
  
  
  
  
Notes: Wow, I can't believe how much praise I got for that first chapter! *sniffles* Thanks, you guys, that was sooooooo cool!! You're totally awesome and I officially love you all! You guys are like my brothers from another mother! ^-^;;; Hehe.  
  
  
  
Also, thank you so much for your suggestions! I love reading them, so keep them coming! You guys are so cool! *huggles*  
  
  
Please don't forget to review! I really, *really* like reviews. ^-^;;  
  
  
  
  
  
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The first week of school went by rather fast, for all of them. They had hoped that maybe they wouldn't get too much homework, but they were rudely awakened as the professors piled it on. Supposedly it was just to get your feet wet; get a taste of things to come. Other students thought differently. Dean Thomas swore that it was a conspiracy.  
  
  
"They're all against us, you know. We knew Snape was, but it's really all of them. They're trying to kill us off before Christmas break." He said one afternoon, as he walked with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to Potions.  
  
  
Hermione scoffed. "Really, that's absolute nonsense."  
  
  
Dean grinned. "Yeah, but it sounds cool." He replied.  
  
  
Ron and Harry laughed, and even Hermione cracked a smile.   
  
  
The Potions room was cold and musky, due to the fact that it was down in the dungeons. No one every really liked it, except for maybe the other Slytherins.   
  
  
Harry, Ron, and Hermione all got seats near the back, and Dean sat just next to them with Seamus Finnigan and Neville Longbottom. Lavender Brown and Parvati Patil sat just in front of them, talking in hushed voices as they glanced back towards Ron repeatedly.  
  
  
Curious, Seamus leaned forward. "Hey, you guys fancy Ron or something?" He asked.  
  
  
Ron went slightly pink. "Hey, Seamus, leave me outta this, will ya?"  
  
  
Harry grinned, and Hermione shook her head, opening up her Potions book.  
  
  
Parvati shook her head impatiently. "No way, you mean you guys haven't heard?" She asked, obviously shocked.  
  
  
Harry raised an eyebrow. "Heard what?"  
  
  
Lavender and Parvati exchanged grave looks. "Well…"  
  
  
"I don't suppose Prof. Trelawny has seen his death…" Hermione murmured, and Harry and Ron grinned.  
  
  
"Maybe she's given up on you, then." Ron teased lightly, nudging Harry.  
  
  
Harry shook his head, smiling. "I could only dream."   
  
  
Lavender glanced across the room, towards the Slytherins. "No no, it's not that either."  
  
  
"Then what is it?" Dean asked, getting impatient.  
  
  
"That new girl, Kiare something or other, said.."  
  
  
But Parvati was cut off as Snape swept into the room, looking as mean and greasy as always. "Welcome to another wonderful year." He sneered, and his cold gaze met Harry's for a moment before he looked back around.  
  
  
Harry frowned. Despite last year, it looked as though his hatred for Harry had only grown even more.   
  
  
As Snape started the role call, Dean leaned forward, whispering to Parvati. But they obviously didn't go unnoticed for long. "Mr. Thomas, sit back in your seat. You can gossip with your little girlfriend after my class is over."   
  
  
Dean sat back, trying not to scowl at him, while Parvati blushed slightly.  
  
  
Across the room, Crabbe and Goyle sniggered, but Malfoy scowled slightly, and muttered something to them, most likely telling them to shut up.  
  
  
Kiare smirked, tossing her dark, shiny hair over her shoulder as she got her things out, preparing herself for when class would start.  
  
  
Soon enough, it did. Snape started by reading and explaining each of the ingredients that they would be using that year, walking around the room and eyeing every student --except for most of the Slytherins-- suspiciously as they quickly scribble down what he said. His notes seemed to last forever, but they did end, only to make way for a pop quiz.  
  
  
Ron scowled, getting out a new sheet of parchment. "Slave driver.." He muttered, loud enough for Harry and Hermione to hear him.  
  
  
Harry sighed, silently agreeing with him. Hermione glanced at him but kept quiet.  
  
  
As always, the pop quiz was difficult. Most everyone groaned when it came to handing them back in. Snape looked pleased that just about everyone failed. He skimmed through the papers, every once in a while making a smart comment about the students' very wrong answer.   
  
Especially Harry's. But that was to be expected, though it still was quite unfair.   
  
  
Snape paused, holding up two pieces of parchment as he studied them. "Well well well… Granger, seems like you've got some competition in Miss Lyren." He said, smirking coldly at the Gryffindor girl.   
  
  
Kiare brushed the hair out of her eyes coolly, although most of the students turned their heads towards her.  
  
  
Snape glanced at her. "Where did you transfer from?" He asked, putting the quizzes on his desk in a neat pile.  
  
  
"I was home schooled, sir." She replied indifferently.  
  
  
Snape's eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of recognition in them. "I see." He turned back to the board and began writing on it, and began speaking again, about a particular potion they would be creating in the next class. There was a rush to get out more parchment and ink, though Snape seemed not to notice.  
  
  
Harry stared at his back speculatively, his curiosity getting the better of him. He glanced over to Kiare, who was copying down the procedures quickly, absorbed in her work. He couldn't help but wonder about her… it seemed everyone knew of her… Snape, Malfoy, even Neville. And then Parvati had started to say something about her but alas, he still hadn't heard the rest of it.  
  
  
But by the end of the class, he was dying to know.  
  
  
  
  
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Later that night, Ron, Hermione, and Harry all sat in the Gryffindor common room, finishing up with their homework and talking about a variety of different subjects. Eventually, Kiare Lyren was one of them.  
  
  
"I don't like her." Hermione muttered.  
  
  
Ron grinned. "Is that maybe because she's just as smart as you are?" He asked slyly.  
  
  
She scowled. "Of course not. I just don't like her."  
  
  
Harry ran a hand through his messy black hair, ruffling it as he leaned back in his seat. "What I want to know is why everybody else seems to know all about her." He voiced, setting his quill down.  
  
  
Hermione shrugged. "I'm sure half of its all rumors."  
  
  
Ron nodded. "Yeah, you know how Lavender and Parvati are."  
  
  
Harry paused. "Well, Malfoy knew who she was. I think Snape did, too." He pointed out.  
  
  
Ron snapped his finger. "That's right, and she and Neville definitely knew each other back on the train."   
  
  
Hermione rubbed her forehead. "Who knows. I'm sure we'll hear all sorts of variations of it soon enough." She muttered, almost sounding spiteful.  
  
  
The portrait slid open and Neville walked in, looking upset. He was very pale, and almost looked as though he were on the verge of an emotional breakdown.  
  
  
Hermione looked concerned. "Neville, are you alright?" She asked delicately.  
  
  
He dropped into a plushy chair near them, staring at the floor. "I hate Kiare."  
  



	3. "Diffindo!"

Trapped The past of one threatens the future of another. 

**A Harry Potter Fanfiction by Jou-chan**

_Disclaimers/Warnings:  _I do not own Harry Potter. That credit goes to J. K. Rowling and Warner Bros. and whoever else that might fall under. There are some spoilers if you haven't read all four books, though they aren't too important. This story is _not _a slash, nor will there be any couples. 

_Notes:  _Besides the fact that it's my own personal idea and a few characters are of my own creation, I'm trying to keep all the other characters and events true to the book. So if something here really bothers you when you read, I'd very much like to hear about it. Thanks.

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            Hermione raised her eyebrows, glancing at Ron and Harry as she went to Neville's side. "Neville, what's wrong, what happened?" She asked, concern outlining her voice. Rarely, very rarely, did the round-faced boy ever say such things, and such an outburst from him like this one was quite unexpected.

Neville blinked away any tears that threatened to spill, glaring at the floor. "I wish she'd never come here." He whispered, and his knuckles gripped the armrests of the chair tightly, turning white. "She's already started..."

            Ron, slightly abashed, glanced over at Harry, who was equally bemused. "She's started what?"

            "Perhaps you should explain what happened, Neville." Hermione said soothingly, patting his arm lightly as she tried to calm the boy's nerves.

            Neville exhaled slowly, shaking slightly, and glanced up at the three. "Well… I was  coming back from the library…"

            _"Did you see him today?" Pansy Parkinson asked Kiare, excitement dripping from her voice as she looked at the ebony haired girl with shiny eyes._

_            Kiare raised her eyebrows, about to put her hands up, as if defending herself, but thought better of it and pulled the sleeves of her robe down over her hands anxiously. "See who?" She repeated, wary of Pansy and her two other giggling friends._

_            "Oooh, he's so dreamy!" One of them cried, as she clutched onto Kiare's arm, jumping up and down. Kiare couldn't remember her name, and thought it best just to smile nicely. As nice as she could manage, anyway._

_            "He's more than dreamy, Varyne! (Kiare smirked slightly at this. So that was her name, she thought.  Something to remember for the future.) He's really smart and talented!" The other girl Violet sighed, clasping her hands in front of her._

_            "_Much_ better looking than Ron!" Pansy interjected, looking pointedly at Kiare as she said this._

_            Kiare forced a smile. "I'm sure. So who's the mystery boy?" She asked, hoping they would just spit it out already so she could go to the common room and practice her transfiguration notes. She _really _needed to work on them._

_            The three giggled, looking around to make sure no one was eves dropping, and then Violet whispered, "Draco!"_

_            "Malfoy!?" Kiare's eyebrows shot up, looking shocked. At the look on their faces, she quickly hid her surprise and forced a little smile. "Oh… of course." Carefully making sure they didn't notice, Kiare crossed her fingers behind her back._

_            They giggled again, and began a discussion on his life, his family, his looks, his grades, and Kiare was expecting any moment his mother's aunt's dog's cousin's best friend, who was also, naturally, a Slytherin._

_            With a slight roll of her eyes, Kiare glanced to the side, looking for a route of escape. If she was lucky, maybe Malfoy himself would come around the corner, and the three of them could go running to him, screaming for his autograph. Surely the silver haired little imp would get a kick out of that. _

_            But a distraction did come around the corner, though not the one she had thought of. _

_            The one and only, Neville Longbottom._

_            Kiare smirked slightly, and pulled her wand out of her pocket. For one small, insignificant moment, she hesitated, but her uncle's voice flitting through her head, as well the picture of her parents on the mantelpiece at home drove home. Discreetly pointing it in the blonde's direction, she muttered, "_Diffindo!_"_

_            The bag slung over Neville's shoulder suddenly split open, and parchment, quills, and books spilt out of it onto the floor. It looked as though a bottle of ink smashed as well, as there was a small black puddle forming on the stone floor. Neville frowned and sighed, and crouched down to pick it all up._

_            Pansy and her friends had seen this little accident and burst out laughing, taunting the Gryffindor as he scrambled to pick up his things and leave quickly. But as he noticed Kiare standing there, smirking at him, he stopped and surprisingly clenched his fists. "You!"_

_            Kiare raised her eyebrows, well aware that a few students had stopped, watching the scene before them. "Hello Neville. Having problems?" She asked coolly, crossing her arms. Her robe was safely tucked away in her pockets, as if it had been there the whole time._

_            "You did it! I know you did!" He cried, his voice cracking slightly. His hand dove into his robe, fumbling for a moment before he pulled out his wand._

_            "STOP RIGHT THERE, LONGBOTTOM."_

_            Neville immediately paled and his wand dropped to the floor as Professor McGonagall stormed towards them, Snape at her side. At a glance, it would appear that both Snape and McGonagall were both very angry; well, it was quite obvious McGonagall. Most knew, however, that Snape just jumped at every chance to take points off of Gryffindor. It was a wonder that _he_ had not been the first to yell, instead of Professor McGonagall._

_            As the Professor dragged Neville off, so angry that she was bright red in the face, Snape glared at the students still around him. "Shouldn't you all be someplace?" He asked coldly._

_            The students didn't need any more persuasion and scurried out of the hall, disappearing into rooms and around the corners._

_            Snape kept glaring for a moment, before looking to Kiare. "Miss Lyren, come with me."_

Hermione, Harry, and Ron all wore identical faces of shock as Neville finished his story, looking miserable all over again.

            After a moment, Ron grinned. "Wow, Neville, I never knew you had it in you!" He said, and clapped the other boy on the bag jovially.

            Hermione frowned. "You pulled your wand on her, Neville?" She asked, the tone of her voice showing her obvious disapproval. 

            Neville didn't meet her eyes, but the same angry look appeared and he fiddled with his hands nervously. "You don't know her, Hermione. Not like I do." He said quietly, his voice sounding strained.

            Harry glanced at him, then to Ron and Hermione, once again unsure of what to do. But there was one thing that came to his mind, and from the looks of his friends, it was on theirs as well. "Neville," Harry began, carefully looking at the round-faced boy sitting in the chair in front of him, "How exactly do you know Kiare?"

            Neville glanced up, paling slightly, before looking down again, his look of anger dissolving into one of sorrow. "She's…" He hesitated for a moment, and Harry couldn't be sure if he was trying to find a way to phrase it, or if something else was holding him back. "She's an old family friend." He said at last, sounding slightly strained on the friend part. "Her parents.. knew mine…" 

            Hermione winced slightly as she heard the tremor in his voice, and glanced at the others. "Maybe you aught to lie down, Neville. You look like you need some rest." She said, standing up finally and offering him a hand.

            Neville looked up at her slowly, before nodding and taking her hand. "Thank you, Hermione." He murmured quietly, glancing at Ron and Harry before hurrying up the stairs to their dorm room.

            After he left, Hermione turned to the two, frowning. "I think he's right. I don't trust that Kiare girl, and it sounds as though Neville's got a detention because of her dirty Slytherin tricks." She said accusingly, surprising both Ron and Harry.

            "He did pull his wand on her, though. In the _middle_ of the hallway, Herm, because his bag split open. Don't you think it would seem a little strange for him to immediately accuse her of breaking his bag?" Ron asked, looking at Harry for support.

            Harry cleared his throat, remembering a particular time when he himself had split open Cedric's bag. But obviously, the spell was used a little differently here, and he couldn't help but wonder if Kiare really had done that to Neville. "Well, Ron has a point.." 

            Hermione caught his hesitation, however, and smiled triumphantly. "But you have doubts."

            He paused, before nodding. "Yeah… no offense, Ron, but there is something fishy here." He sat in the chair were Neville had previously been, and pushed his glasses up on his nose, thinking. "He said she was a family friend, but they don't really sound all that friendly together, do they?"

            Ron shook his head, pulling up a chair. "No, especially if they're pulling wands and setting spells on each other in the middle of the hallway." He agreed.

            "And don't forget the train ride up here. She wasn't exactly friendly towards him then, either." Hermione added, and then paused for a moment, as another thought came to her. "And from what I hear, she picks on him a lot. The occurrence in the hallway was hardly the first time, I think, though it might have been the first time they got caught."

            Harry nodded. But there was something else that was bothering him. Something Neville said, about his parents. _'Her parents.. knew mine…' _His mind flashed back to the Pensieve in Dumbledore's office, and the trial he had seen in it. Neville's parents were dead, tortured to death by some of Voldemort's Deatheaters. How could Kiare's parents be friends with the Longbottoms? Was it before their deaths, when the two were still just babies? It was kind of ironic, in a way; where their parents were friends, here Kiare and Neville were, trying to kill each other in a school hallway. Very friendly, indeed.

            Finally, he sighed, rubbing his forehead. "Who knows." He murmured. He had promised Dumbledore he wouldn't say anything about Neville's parents, and he didn't mean to. "It's getting late, though. We should get some rest."

            Hermione smiled slightly, nodding. "You're right, Harry. We'll have plenty of time to think about this later." She agreed, and then smiled at both of them. "Good night." 

            Ron nodded to her as she left, stifling his yawns, before turning to Harry. "Blimey," He said, ruffling his bright red hair some, "First Malfoy, and now her. I think we've done somebody a major wrong somewhere along the lines, to deserve this." He dropped his hand, and looked around. "Well, off to bed then. Like Hermione said, I'm sure by morning it will all be fine."

            Harry forced a smile, getting up and following his friend to bed. _If only it were that easy._


End file.
